Portugal is an investment success says EIB chief

Portugal is one of the countries which gives the most return to the economy from investments provided through the Juncker Plan according to the European Investment Bank and European Commission.

According to the latest balance (November) made by the European institutions, since 2015 Portugal has managed to achieve financing at very low interest rates of around €5.5Bn via the European Strategic Investment Fund , an entity that provides bank guarantees supported by the EU budget but which is operated by the EIB.

That amount has increased by about 60% compared to November 2017 generating additional investment commitments from the private sector which has increased the number of approved projects to €8.8Bn (up 32% like-for-like).

According to the EIB this makes Portugal the third best country in Europe in terms of investment leveraged under the Juncker Plan taking into account the size of its national economy.

Since the global economic and financial crisis, the EU has been suffering from low levels of investment. Collective and coordinated efforts are needed to reverse this downward trend and put Europe back on the path to economic recovery.

The Investment Plan for Europe has three objectives: to remove obstacles to investment; to provide visibility and technical assistance to investment projects; and to make smarter use of financial resources.